Road Research

Surface Characteristics HMA

Pavement surface characteristics include ride quality, frictional resistance, hydroplaning potential, texture, sound absorption properties, and overall pavement performance. Growing interest in pavement surface characteristics and concerns about safety, traffic noise and performance has resulted in focused pavement research. This five-year study focuses on pavement surface characteristics of new flexible pavements. It evaluates how they change over time and affect overall pavement performance. The study also investigates surface parameters in new pavement surfaces and optimizes the most desirable of the characteristics.